Five Things to Watch for on Election Day in Alabama

OZARK, Alabama – Now that the fat lady is finally warming up to sing the finale in what has been the never-ending saga of Alabama’s U.S. Senate special election cycle, there are a few things spectators can watch for before the vote tallies are reported. These are some things that political spectators can watch for as news of the day unfolds: 1) Urban versus rural turnout: Much like the Republican primary runoff between Luther Strange and Moore, this election should have a similar dynamic. In the Strange-Moore match-up, Moore showed strength in the rural precincts around the state, while Strange had his best results in urban and suburban counties. If throughout the day turnout is on the upswing in the rural precincts, then that is a good sign for Moore. However, if the same is true in urban and suburban precincts (those in Jefferson, Shelby, Montgomery, Mobile, Baldwin and Madison Counties), then that could be a positive sign for Jones. There are some exceptions, which include Alabama’s mostly rural Democrat-heavy predominantly African-American Black Belt region. Good turnout in those counties may also mean the same in Alabama’s inner cities, an integral part of Jones’ path to an upset victory. However,